The Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) is currently in full swing, as each of the teams in the conference are currently winding down the 2012-2013 junior college season. As the regular season is nearing the end to another great year in junior college basketball in the state, numerous junior college prospects in the state are having excellent seasons. One prospect that has risen to the top of the conference as one of the league’s top-rated prospects is Central Arizona’s 5-foot-9, 160-pound sophomore point guard Dre Mathieu. Mathieu has risen to the top of the conference’s elite prospects while leading Central Arizona Junior College to…
Author: Anthony Ray
Cesar Chavez High School (27-2) has been as good as any team in the state this season, sporting a deep lineup of players that combine good size with superior athleticism. Chavez head coach Gary Lee has been extremely successful in leading the program since the school’s development many years ago. Last season Chavez would reach the state final before losing to eventual state champion Corona Del Sol HS, and this season they could go one step further and win it all. Chavez would face Millennium HS (23-5) in the Division-I, Section-I tournament championship game Saturday evening at Westview High School, after blowing out Central…
We may never see a girl’s high school basketball team as good or as dominant again, as the St. Mary’s Knight’s girl’s basketball program. In fact, I am saying never again. If we thought the last two year’s of St. Mary’s girl’s basketball was dominant, this year’s team has been more of the same for a Knight’s basketball program that has completely dominated the state of Arizona’s best. St. Mary’s (25-1) came into Saturday night’s Division-I, Section-I championship game at Westview High School as winners of their last 55 games against Arizona competition. Saturday evening’s match-up with previous undefeated Westview High School (32-1) would…
It is that time of the year when college programs are beginning to turn their attention towards top-rated unsigned prospects around the country. Within the state of Arizona, one of the top unsigned senior prospects in Arizona’s 2013 class is Westwind Prep Academy’s 6-foot-4, 205-pound senior combo-guard prospect Glenn Baral. A native of Richmond, California, Baral ventured to the state of Arizona this year after spending last season at a prep school program on the East Coast. As a result, Baral has blossomed as a college prospect and is among the state’s best unsigned performers. While playing for Westwind’s National Team…
Since being a youngster in the state of Arizona, he has been widely recognized as some that can fill it up – scoring the basketball at a high rate and shooting the basketball with excellent precision. While many have marveled at his ability to put up big scoring numbers and some have even questioned his ability, Saguaro High School’s 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior combo-guard Ryan Berg has remained consistent – torching the nets throughout his four-year varsity career. After a strong season at the varsity level as a freshman, Berg helped lead his Saguaro HS team to a state championship runner-up finish as a sophomore. Berg…
He has done it again, but this time he is academically qualified and ready to go. Saturday afternoon became the best day of the young career for Westwind Prep Academy 6-foot-2, 190-pound prep guard Larry Lewis, as he gave a verbal pledge to the University of Texas-San Antonio and head coach Brooks Thompson and his basketball staff. “It felt great,” said Larry Lewis. “I have waited a long time for this day. I have waited since February of 2012 when I knew I wasn’t going to be eligible. I really worked hard and so it feels good.” Lewis had given an early verbal…
Nogales High School has one of the state’s best basketball programs and has been very success over the years – playing a very fundamental brand of basketball that has led to many wins and a state championship in 2011. Gone are household names Cesar Solis and Joseph Monreal, but picking up where they left off, and then some, has been 6-foot-1 senior point guard Andres Marquez. Marquez is a very well known prospect by other top performing basketball prospects around the state of Arizona, as he has competed against the state’s best for some time, and is no stranger to being…
The last time these two teams met it resulted in a one-point win for Mesa High School. The game took place last season on Nogales High School’s home floor and a loaded Mesa team was much younger. Now, a year later, the Mesa Jackrabbits are much more developed as a team and sport possibly the state’s most talent-filled team of players. Nogales (21-5), led by the superb play of 6-foot-1 do-it-all senior guard Andres Marquez, came into Thursday night’s contest amongst the leading scorers in the state – having scored 40+ points in several different games this season. Mesa would show just how good they can be…
Both teams came into Wednesday’s night exciting match-up on a major roll for the season, as Highland High School (26-2) had won their last 10 games in a row, and Dobson (20-5) had won 12 games in a row on the season. With both teams among the very elite girl’s programs in the state and both riding big win streaks, this game was set to be as exciting of a game as we have seen during the 2012-2013 season. Both teams were also loaded with college prospects, so I had my popcorn ready for this match-up. Highland High School was the host school for…
Chandler High School’s girl’s basketball team has produced many of the state’s top players over the years and has fielded an elite basketball program since the hiring of head coach Zon Thompson. This year’s team though has been up and down, behind some injuries, recent illnesses and an intense game shedule this season. Chandler (15-7) has had arguably the toughest game schedule of any team in the state this season. While having 7 losses on the season, the Wolves has played the state’s best high school programs. Their seven losses have come at the hands of top-ranked local and out-0f-state competition – Pinnacle, St.…